The Sprout

Botley families at the Bike Ride for Climate Action

The newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley

Issue 141 October 2019

The Sprout

Issue 141, October 2019

Contents

3 Botley Arts

5 Apple Day

7 Memory Club

11 Model House

15 Planning Apps

17 Tattoos

10 Brownies Chase a Badge

Well-being for us all

23 Well and truly SCAMMED

27 Scouts on the River

29 Changes at the Practice

33 Parking Blues

35 Botley in Russian

37 WI Summer Festival

39 ABC meeting

41 Randoms

Local organizations

From the Editor

Lots of interest in this month’s Sprout, starting with Dick Wolff’s blow-by-

blow account of how he modified his new house in Tilbury Lane to make

it a net exporter of electricity to the grid (p11), and a cautionary tale of a

scam that very nearly succeeded (p23) – read and learn, you wouldn’t

want this to happen to you! The illegal parking in North Hinksey Lane is

getting so outrageous it inspired a satirical poem (p33) and on page 17

you will find the stories behind one man’s tattoos. The Patients

Participation Group of the local medical practice is soldiering on under

difficult circumstances (p29), there’s a new club for people with dementia

(p7) and a map of Botley in Russian, relic of the Cold War (p35). Our

cover shows Botley’s presence at the Family Bike Ride for Climate Action

on 20th September, and page 39 has an account of the meeting of the

Association for Botley Communities, pledged to do all it can to protect

the environment and avert a climate catastrophe. If all this seems a bit

much, turn to page 19 for some advice on ways to maintain health and

happiness despite the challenging times we live in. Or you can restore

calm by remembering the Scouts and Brownies are still doing what they

love, the Women’s Institute in Botley is celebrating 100 years, and Apple

Day’s coming up on 6th October.

Ag MacKeith

Local art exhibition

Summer’s over, but we at Botley Arts are delighted to welcome back

Gordon Stokes whose gorgeous and inspiring photographs remind us of

sunny days. The exhibition can be found in St Peter and St Paul's

Church, West Way, daylight hours, from Monday 30th September until

the end of November. Not to be missed! Here’s what he says about his

work:

The Far West – the sea in west Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

These photographs show the variety of moods and colours of the sea

around the Isles of Scilly and the far west of Cornwall. Cornwall has big

beaches, big breakers and keen surfers. Scilly attracts those who love

peace, quiet and tranquillity.

West Cornwall, especially St Ives, is famed for the quality of its light and

has attracted artists for 100 years. The special light is largely due to

being at the end of the long South West peninsula, surrounded by sea,

but with damp air that deflects light, making shadows less harsh. The

Isles of Scilly also have a special quality of light. It's influenced by the

remoteness of the islands allowing so much light to be reflected by the

sea, the clarity of the water, and the white sand and seaweed that

reflect light back up again from the shallow sea beds. While Scilly is

way out into the Atlantic Ocean, the outer rocks and islands shelter the

sea between the islands and the water often has an almost treacly look

– at other times glittering – it is seldom grey!

I visit West Cornwall regularly and I've loved the Isles of Scilly since I

first went there in the 1980s, especially the smaller islands of Bryher,

Tresco, St Martins and Samson. The photos concentrate on the water

and the sky, but they wouldn't be the same without the white beaches,

the soft grassy dunes, the rugged saw-tooth islands and rocks.

My photography is often minimalist, simple in terms of composition, and

my influences are from abstracted painting and printmaking rather than

conventional photography. The aim is to please and uplift rather than to

challenge. I hope that they convey a sense of the places they were

taken and how precious the natural environment is – for the world and

for our spirit.

I started printing photographs aged 13, and have used monochrome,

colour print and slide film. All is now digital and is mainly seascapes

from the Scilly Isles, Cornwall, the Outer Hebrides and elsewhere,

combined with landscapes of Oxfordshire.

I have exhibited in various places including the Hexagon in Reading,

West Ox Arts in Bampton, and more locally at the John Radcliffe,

Churchill and Warneford Hospitals. For the last 30 years I have lived

and worked in the Oxford area, but love nothing better than to escape to

the quiet coasts and beaches of the far West. My photography has been

combined with a career in research, including working for the

Countryside Agency. A geographer by training, I also am a Visiting

Research Associate in the University of Oxford. I regularly take part in

Artweeks at the Edith Road Studios off Abingdon Road in Oxford.

My work can be seen on www.gordonstokes.co.uk

Gordon Stokes

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BOTLEY APPLE DAY

South View House

Old Botley OX2 0JR

SUNDAY 6TH OCTOBER

2.30 pm – 5pm

Are apples going to waste in your garden? Bring and share

them at Botley Apple Day. People-powered apple press to

turn bruised apples and leftovers into juice. (Good ones

can be stored or shared) Apples identified. Apple recipes

and storage ideas. Bring knives, juice containers. No

apples? Just come anyway. Fun for all the family!

Phone 01865 724452 for details or just turn up

Memory Club

Kennington Memory Club has just celebrated its first anniversary. It

opened a year ago to meet the need for a local Dementia Day Care

Centre for people living in the area which includes Kennington and the

Hinkseys, Botley, Cumnor, Wootton, Marcham, Abingdon, Radley, and

surrounding villages.

With qualified and

experienced staff

and our team of

dedicated

volunteers, we aim

to provide a safe

and supportive

meeting place for

people with

dementia. Our

members have the

opportunity to

exchange memories

and opinions, take

part in a choice of

stimulating activities,

as well as enjoying the fellowship of shared meals. We give their

families respite and the offer of support, advice and comradeship.

Our activities include gentle exercises, reminiscence, musical bingo,

card games and lots of memory games. There is plenty of opportunity

for conversation with other members, staff and volunteers, and music

and singing are popular. A hot lunch is available for members at modest

extra cost. If they want to, carers can go to the carers' support groups

that take place every two months.

The club has had a very successful first year. As one of our volunteers

wrote in our newsletter, "The members certainly enjoy themselves and

there can be lots of laughter. They go home relaxed and cheerful and

the carers can seem positively reinvigorated by their few hours of

respite".

The club meets on Mondays and Thursdays from 9.30 to 3.30 in

Kennington Methodist Church, Upper Road, Kennington, Oxford, OX1

5LR. Members must have a diagnosis of dementia, and we welcome

enquiries by them or by carers on their behalf. For enquiries about

vacancies, membership and cost, please phone our Organiser Helen on

07852 883496. Or you can email us at kenningtonmc.info@gmail.com

Our website address is www.kenningtonmemoryclub.org.uk.

And if you know someone who is living with dementia, or is caring for

someone with dementia, and you think that the club might be useful to

them, please tell them about us. We always need volunteers, so if you

think you might like to join us, please phone Helen. We can provide

safeguarding and dementia awareness training and arrange for

volunteers to have DBS checks.

Margaret Newton

Model home

When we bought a house on Tilbury Fields in June 2016 it was with the

deliberate intention of trying to create a net zero carbon house out of an

ordinary new-build. We’d factored in the cost of doing that when we

assessed what we could afford. We had chosen a south-facing plot,

and discovered as an added bonus that the garage roof was also south-

facing, enabling us to install 28 solar panels (8kW max).

The first challenge was to get Persimmon to build the house properly:

amongst its 15 building regulation failures it failed our independent air

tightness test spectacularly through sloppy construction, and because

an extractor fan was not connected to ducting in the hidden space

above the ground floor ceilings, that space was effectively open to

atmosphere. Insulation was completely missing over the porch space,

meaning the en-suite bathroom floor was more or less at outside

temperatures. So the first lesson is, “Don’t trust the Energy

Performance Certificate”. Under-floor heating was not offered as an

option, so we had to remove all the ground floor skirting boards, doors,

toilet and washbasin in order to install it. Likewise strip out the gas

central heating system in order to install an air source heat pump and

100 litre hot water tank. Had we been able to buy the property

‘unfinished’ (as it were) I estimate we could have saved £2,000 in labour

plus the cost of the unwanted gas heating system (about £4,000). The

whole process took six months — much of that chasing Persimmon to

fulfil their responsibilities.

For some years, the government’s own energy advisors have been

recommending air source heat pumps as the default heating system for

all new builds, but government has largely ignored the advice. Heat

pumps are essentially air conditioners working in reverse. For every

kilowatt of electricity you put in to

drive the heat pump, you get three

kilowatts of heat out. The trick is

to store as much as possible of the

energy off the solar panels in the

hot water and underfloor heating

during the hours of daylight, and

then ‘cruise’ through the night.

The heating control system feels

unnecessarily complicated, but

once it’s set up properly, it’s done. We run the washing machine and

dishwasher in the middle of the day.

We’re delighted with the results. The house remains at a steady 21°C

through the winter. Between November and March in both years the

house has imported more energy than it has exported to the grid from

the solar panels — in

December, nine times

more — but for the

other seven months

we’re a net exporter.

In July 2018 we

exported eight times

what we imported.

The solar panels came

with smart metering,

enabling us to see at a

glance (on computer or

smartphone) what’s

going on, and keeping

records for us. Since

the system was

commissioned we’ve

exported nearly three

megawatt hours more

than we’ve imported,

so over a whole year

we’re better than ‘net

zero carbon’, and with

the Renewable Heat Incentive and (much reduced) Feed-in Tariff

payments we have a negative fuel bill.

Even if we had no solar panels at all, the efficiency of the heat pump

combined with the better-insulated house means we’re only using a

quarter of the energy of our previous gas-heated house; but arguably

we’d be saving almost 100% of the carbon emissions of our previous

gas-heated house, because we no longer burn gas, and the electricity

we do import (from Good Energy) is renewably generated.

What about the costs? Rising fuel prices, government abolition of the

Feed-in Tariff and dropping technology prices mean that our example is

only a ‘snapshot in time’, but solar panels, heat pump, u/f heating and

tank installation cost us just under £26,000 (including redoing

Persimmons’ work), and we’re on course to recoup that within 11 years

from the start. It’s only a small proportion of the house price, and the

inflated profits from developers like Persimmon suggest there’s no

reason why a system like ours couldn’t be standard on all new builds. If

the government mandated heat pumps on new-builds, land prices would

adjust to compensate, meaning it would cost house-buyers nothing

extra.

Dick Wolff

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LOCAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS

P19/V1887/HH

198 Westminster Way. Replace

conservatory with single storey

extension.

14 August

TDD: 9 Oct

P19/V1965/HH

14 Hutchcomb Rd. Single storey

extension, demolition of

conservatory.

15 August

TDD: 10 Oct

P19/V2057/HH

106D West Way. Single storey

flat roof extension and two

outbuildings, which have already

been erected.

27 August

TDD: 22 Oct

P19/V2157/FUL

Seacourt Tower, Homebase Ltd

West Way. External alterations,

new entrance lobby, variation to

service area and reconfiguration

of car parking areas.

4 September

Target

Decision Date:

30 October

P19/V2177/FUL

9A Eynsham Rd. Demolish

existing 2 storey detached

house & build 7 flats, 4 x 1

bedroom, 2 x 2 bed & 1 x 3 bed.

5 September

TDD: 31 Oct

P19/V2142/HH

34 Cedar Rd. Remove rear

porch & build single storey rear

extension.

10September

TDD: 5 Nov

Tattoos a personal matter

I have seven tattoos, none of which is purely decorative.

My first tattoo is my partner’s name, in her own handwriting, decorated with

a few stars. I gave the tattooist a paper copy of her signature and he copied

it onto a transfer, which in turn was pressed onto the skin of my upper arm,

leaving an image which he traced with his tattoo gun. It was a little

uncomfortable, no more than that. Why this tattoo? I found the idea of

being signed for very appealing. I enjoy the idea of being wanted and

enjoyed,

My next tattoos celebrate my parents. I have never met my father, and

communicated with him only twice before he died. I found I had two half-

brothers, and one of them sent me a rubber stamp which my father had

used to authenticate his architectural drawings. So my second tattoo, on

the other upper arm, was my dad’s stamp. Next to that, I put the third: my

mother’s signature, from one of the last postcards she sent me from

holiday. Her handwriting was unique, and I loved the sense of the tattoo

promoting her uniqueness.

My fourth tattoo is the number 42, ironically placed below my navel. 42 is

the number that Douglas Adams’s Deep Thought computer offered as the

Answer to the “question of the meaning of the universe and everything” (in

his “Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy”). At the time I took it to mean that

the ultimate question was simply the question of species survival, and

therefore the rationale for procreation, but now I think that Adams meant

that the answer was “whatever you want,” which, increasingly, I think, may

well be true.

Next, I had the then logo of the NHS Blood and Transplant service tattooed

on the inside of my right wrist, intending to signal that I am a potential organ

donor. (Though medical professionals would ignore the tattoo and would

check for an entry on the NHS Organ Donation Register. But from 2020 in

England all adults will be deemed to be transplant donors unless they have

opted out.)

Recently I’ve felt the pressure of time running out, and to concentrate my

mind, I have had a mirror-image chest tattoo reading “Do it Now” which I

see in the bathroom mirror as I shave. Finally, the tattoo on my left foot is

the number 73. This is my target weight in kilograms. I am currently obese,

have diabetes type 2, sleep apnoea and high blood pressure. This tattoo is

part of a programme to extend my (relatively) healthy life. It was the most

painful tattoo of all. (Name with-held)

Brownies New Term

We started our new term (and new Brownie Year) welcoming five new

girls (Veronica, Lauren, Charlotte, Daria and Neve). To help us get to

know each other and to tie into this term’s badge we had a very

competitive game of Beetle Drive. Once the girls, and also all the

Leaders, got into the game the sound of squeals, encouragement and

laughter soon filled the room. The eventual

all-out winner was Faith and also our Young

Leader Fox so “Very Well Done” to the both

of them!

At the beginning of next month we have a

visit to Cumnor Hill House arranged to spend

the evening with the people there, and to get

to know them by playing some classic board

games together. Two different generations

will be enjoying spending some time together.

This term we are doing the “I’m a Survivor - Guide Me Out Of Here”

badge which is all about team-working with a jungle theme, and

includes crafts, activities and food. We will keep you all updated on as

we progress through it. The picture shows the badge we chose, about

7cm wide.

Alison Griffin

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well-being for all of us: five principles

I was talking with Liam Corbally, who manages the Oxfordshire

Recovery College. The college is a ground-breaking project for

people with mental health issues, and their carers and friends.

Courses at the college are normally three hours long, and are co-

taught by an ‘expert by experience’ (someone who has had

mental health problems) and an ‘expert by training’. Courses

include Understanding Depression, Food and Wellbeing,

Introduction to Personality Disorders, and Wildlife and Wellbeing

which I teach. (See www.oxfordshire recoverycollege.org.uk.)

Anyway, Liam was telling me about the five principles of wellbeing

that apply to everyone, the mental equivalent of ‘five fruit and

vegetables a day’. The principles emerged from a government

project into mental capital which drew on the advice of over four

hundred experts from around the world:.www.gov.uk/ government/

publications/mental-capital-and-wellbeing-making-the-most-of-

ourselves-in-the-21st-century. Here is a direct quote from the

study and inspiration for all of us:

1. Connect… With the people around you. With family, friends,

colleagues and neighbours. At home, work, school or in your local

community. Think of these as the cornerstones of your life, and

invest time in developing them. Building these connections will

support and enrich you every day.

2. Be active… Go for a walk or run. Step outside. Cycle. Play a

game. Garden. Dance. Exercising makes you feel good. Most

importantly, discover a physical activity you enjoy and that suits

your level of mobility and fitness.

3. Take notice… Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark

on the unusual. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the

moment, whether you are walking to work, eating lunch or talking

to friends. Be aware of the world around you and what you are

feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate

what matters to you.

4. Keep learning… Try something new. Rediscover an old

interest. Sign up for that course. Take on a different responsibility

at work. Fix a bike. Learn to play an instrument or how to cook

your favourite food. Set a challenge you enjoy achieving. Learning

new things will make you more confident as well as being fun.

5. Give… Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank

someone. Smile. Volunteer your time. Join a community group.

Look out, as well as in. Seeing yourself, and your happiness, as

linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and

creates connections with the people around you.

Riki Therivel

Well and truly SCAMMED

Have you heard of the BT SCAM, in which gullible elderly persons are

cheated out of their savings by plausible rogues? Yes, I had too, but I

didn’t pay too much attention. I hardly expected it to happen to me.

And then, just as I was trying to get on with editing the October Sprout,

my internet died. The phone rang. I picked it up and was told it was BT’s

service team on hand to help reinstate my internet, which had gone

down because it was under siege from hackers.

What did they sound like? Patient, polite, fairly strong accents that

suggested BT had a well-rounded employment policy. For the next

hour, we strove to reconnect the broken internet. By the second hour, I

was on my knees with the tedium of it all, and grateful for their weary

patience. They asked questions about my spending that seemed

plausible: Did I do much buying on line? Did I use my phone for

telephone banking? Did I have more than one bank account? They

urged me to check my bank account to see if there was any unusual

activity on it, and reassured me that they couldn’t see what codes I used

to get in.

Patiently, skilfully, they reeled me in. I should have suspected their

sincerity when they complimented me

on my computer skills – well, I did

suspect their sincerity, but I thought

they were just trying to jolly me along.

I should have smelt a rat when they

seemed to think my provider was

Virgin, when I had closed that

arrangement a month ago, but they

smoothly explained that BT provided

the services for all the internet.

Finally, when it was clear that the

internet was still working on my mobile

phone, they suggested I use it check

my bank account was safe. They told

me to place the phone by the house

hub while I went back to my computer

in the other room. That’s when they

took the vital information from my

phone, because when I went back it said there were two hackers

attached to my account, Mr G Ray and one other. ‘Who’s the other one,

I wonder,’ I said, cheerily, ‘Not you, is it?’ ‘Not at all,’ said the plausible

villain, ‘My name’s John Garcia.’ Then he put the phone down, and

peals of jingly music filled the air.

It took about ten seconds for light to dawn – after two hours of patient

politeness, he’d hung up without saying good bye. Why not? I ran for

my bank card and dialled the emergency number on it with trembling

fingers. I got through to an assistant and told them I thought I’d been

scammed. They checked my account and found I’d just authorized a

payment of £6,000 to a Mr G Ray.

Luckily for me, I was in time to abort their evil plan! Both my cards were

stopped, the payment was refused, and I shall be changing my online

log-in as soon as my computer has been sanitized and the internet

restored. But – oh dear, what a fool I was! I take such comfort as I can

from the fact that the two weary hours they spent working on me were

precious time down the drain for them as well as for me. It could have

been worse!

Ag MacKeith

4th Oxford Scouts on the river

This summer the 4th Oxford

Scouts spent four evenings

doing activities on the Thames

at King’s Lock near Wolvercote.

We paddled kayaks and open

canoes, and some scouts learnt

how to row and how to handle a

motorboat. The river is beautiful

on summer evenings, and warm

enough to spend lots of time

falling out of boats or jumping

into the river off a rope swing

tied to a tree. On a previous

evening the scouts had built a

boat/raft/aeroplane type thing

out of plastic bottles, a few

planks and lots of duct tape –

from the pictures you can see it in all its beauty on dry land, and then

half submerged under the weight of six scouts.

James Wynne

Changing Times

Our medical practice is turning into a Primary Care Network

(PCN) as part of the NHS’s Long Term Plan. PCNs and Integrated

Care Providers are the new way for general practices and health

and social care services to collaborate. These collaborations are

intended to provide better ways for patients to access a wide

range of services. The PCNs will act as co-ordinators for these

services, making greater use of digital resources to do so.

Why are PCNs being set up? Limited funding, shortages of

practitioners especially GPs,. plus an aging population who are

living longer with often complex needs, have meant we must look

differently at making primary care work. The PCNs will expand

over the next ten years and it is hoped this will offer the

community in which they work better and more appropriate care.

In future patients may be referred to allied health professionals

rather than a GP, if this is more appropriate to their needs. This

doesn’t mean when patients are sick they will not get the care

they need.

The Botley/Kennington

practice has networked with

Faringdon White Horse

Practice, so it is now part of an

integrated care system across

three (BOB) counties: Berks,

Oxfordshire, and Bucks. As a

result patient engagement will

be changing.

The Oxfordshire Clinical

Commissioning Group

(OCCG) is also due to

change, in ways that are as

yet unclear. It has announced

it will stop supporting

the six PPG localities that make up Oxfordshire as from the end of

October. This decision has been made with very little notice to

PPGs and it closes the channel of direct communication with the

OCCG. It’s not clear, yet, how patients will have an input to the

practice they are registered with once this channel is closed. What

will this mean for the future of the Patient Participation Groups?

We don’t yet know.

Despite this, I and my colleagues have been busy over the

summer working on an Action Plan for Botley/Kennington based

on patient feedback and the findings of the March Care Quality

Commission. It is worth going on the website to review this, if you

haven’t done so already.

We plan to continue working with the practice to ensure that

patients still have a voice. Please support us.

Sylvia Buckingham, Chair Botley/Kennington PPG

Another Reason

Why I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House…

Billy Collins wrote a marvellous poem with the above title. It is about a

neighbour’s dog that will not stop barking. In the end he imagines the

dog playing in a Beethoven symphony, “his eyes fixed on the conductor

who is entreating him with his baton / while the other musicians listen in

respectful / silence to the famous barking dog solo, / that endless coda

that first established / Beethoven as an innovative genius”.

Driven to distraction by the unsafe parking on North Hinksey Lane,

which nobody seems to be doing anything about, I wrote this homage to

Billy Collins:

In the morning they start parking

On the edges of the lane

In the evening they return, and

Take their cars back home again

They park their cars so tightly packed

That they form a single chain

And turn our two-lane road into

A single-lane North Hinksey Lane

It’s as though a mystery warden

Was urging them to park right there

“Please park and park and park and park

And drive the local people spare”

We’ve rung the council, the police,

Put posts on traffic problem logs

Is it time to move near them

With barking barking barking dogs?

Riki Therivel

[Help is on the horizon, Riki. The County Council intends to put in

double yellow lines for the whole length of North Hinksey Lane over the

week starting 28th October – Editor]

Botley in Russian

Malcolm Graham, our local historian, has got in touch to show us the

Botley section of the Soviet era maps of Oxford and Oxfordshire that he

bought copies of years ago for the Centre for Oxfordshire Studies. They

had been discovered in a remote store when the Berlin Wall came down

and the USSR unravelled. The maps have now been digitised and can

be seen on Oxfordshire County Council's Picture Oxon website –

www.pictureoxon.com The extract shown is from a 1:10000 scale

(roughly 6 inches to the mile) map of Oxford published in 1973. It’s hard

to reproduce the map very clearly in the Sprout format, but anyone

interested can find it in higher definition at Picture Oxon. The maps

have all the strategically important buildings picked out, such as the car

Factory and the University Press. University College is also picked out,

and it looks as if they thought this was the University's HQ! Names are

phonetically written in Russian script, like Botley below!

Picture Oxon now includes a huge number of local images, including

maps and plans as well as photographs, prints and drawings, and you

can also search for oral history recordings. A simple search for Botley

images comes up with 1970 images; for North Hinksey, there are 1533

and for Cumnor 1424. You can find it by googling Oxon History Centre.

Access is through oxfordshire.gov.uk, the County Council’s website.

100 Years of Botley Women’s Institute

Botley Women’s

Institute had it all on

Saturday afternoon

14th September. The

weather was as

perfect as it could be;

the tables in the WI

Hall were covered

with exhibits reflecting

the many and varied

talents and skills of

Botley WI members

and competition for

prizes was strong.

We enjoyed the

singing by Cumnor

Community Choir,

dancing from Cry

Havoc Morris Dancers

and a wonderful and

talented folk group

called Mother Folkers.

There were games for

children, and stalls in

the car park including

a stall with handmade

articles for sale in aid

of SERV, young

people from Branches

Youth Cafe helped

wash up and serve refreshments; profits from the day will go to them.

Everyone was able to sit in warm sunshine enjoying time with their

friends, family and visitors to the festival. Tea and wonderful cakes

were consumed by all present. It was a quintessentially English

afternoon. We can now look forward to the next 100 years!

Jenny Holloway, Secretary, Botley WI

Better for Botley, better for the Planet

About 20 people met up at the ABC (Association of Botley

Communities) Environment meeting on September 6th. We were

fortunate to be joined by Emily Smith – our district councillor, now

leader of Vale council. Emily stressed that the Vale are upping their

game on the environment and are looking to develop a climate action

plan as well as acting on other environmental issues. They welcome

advice and examples of good practice. The meeting also discussed:

Botley Neighbourhood Plan Our proposed Neighbourhood Plan has set

some ambitious environmental goals but one has been challenged by

the government’s inspector (who looks at all neighbourhood plans). This

is that all new homes should be built to the highest environmental

standards. This seems an obvious requirement if the UK is to meet its

agreed ’zero carbon by 2050 goal’, but if it turns out we can’t have it,

then let’s hope the Vale will put it into the Local Plan. We must keep up

the pressure for change.

Air pollution is a major issue – there are serious concerns about air

quality around our schools. The meeting heard the exciting news that a

large funding bid is going to Highways England (who are responsible for

the A34) to build a protective wall – and perhaps a living ‘green wall’ –

between Botley Primary School and the A34. We considered how the

Vale’s new ‘anti-idling’ campaign could be used to to discourage ‘idling’

in traffic jams. There are also plans to develop a campaign to set

20mph as the maximum speed on local residential roads – something

that has already happened in the city.

There was much discussion about what we can do to tackle climate

change locally. ABC will work with North Hinksey Parish Council’s new

Environment and Well-being committee, which has plans to produce a

leaflet for every household explaining why this matters and what we can

do (last month’s Sprout made a start). Support for our natural

environment is a critical part of this. Tree planting is one simple part of

tackling climate change and the new ‘Oxfordshire Trees for the Future’

campaign (www.oxtrees.uk) is encouraging councils, communities and

everyone to plant with the aim of doubling tree cover in 25 years across

the county. There are a number of street trees on Elms Rise. We need

to work out whose responsibility it is to look after these.

It was agreed that we need an event to bring all these activities

together, and we support the plan from the parish council for a ‘Botley

Green Day’ to be held in early 2020. We’ll be needing people to make

this happen, so if you’d like to help organise a big day for Botley that will

bring together all the local initiatives to combat climate change, or if

you’ve got something to contribute, please email me, as chair of

NHPC’s Environment committee, chrischurch@cooptel.net

Chris Church

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Randoms

Botley W.I.

Speakers at our meeting on 1st October will be Liz Manson & Alison

Jenner on the subject of “Botley WI Remembered” The theme of the

month’s competition will be ‘WI Memorabilia’. On 9th October the

walking group will meet at the WI Hall at 10:00am for a trip to

Standlake. Craft group meets on 15th Oct, 2.30pm at the WI Hall. The

Book group on 23rd Oct at 7.30, Green fingers will meet on 31st Oct at

a location to be confirmed. The music group is discussing its choice of

concert. Do feel free to come along to the WI Hall and join us!

History and Holidays

During the summer, I managed a brief trip to the Isle of Wight. In a

cemetery in East Cowes I found the grave of Fred Goatley. At one time,

he was uncle/great uncle to quite a few people in Montagu Road in the

Clack, Jeffery and of course Goatley families. For those that want to

learn more about history, Cumnor & District History’ Society's 2019/20

season of talks start on Monday 30 September, 7.30pm at Cumnor Old

School . Everyone is welcome. Next year we also hope to put on an

exhibition on the history of education. Martin Harris

Eynsham Bike Path

Good news! Following their earlier withdrawal of the scheme from a

funding bid, Oxon County Council have now undertaken to help get the

Path funded and built. We at BikeSafe are hopeful that Andrew

Gilligan’s appointment as transport adviser to the Prime Minister will

work positively for the B4044 path. It was specifically mentioned in his

report – Running out of Road – as being a necessary piece of

infrastructure. There is also huge pressure being applied by CyclingUK

for more money for walking and cycling infrastructure. BikeSafe now

meet once a month with the team of officers appointed by the OCC to

help the project get planning permission. Please keep your support

going – that given this year has been quite exceptional and has

produced positive results in the face of adversity. Ian Leggett

Greening up Botley

Botley isn't the worst for green, but we could easily make it better. We

could improve shading and appearance, keep some of the cars from

parking on the pavement, and generally spruce things up. It would be a

small action we as a community could take to help the climate. The

Woodland Trust is offering free trees to groups with places to plant

them. If you’d like to pursue this as a community project, email me at

emma.burnett@linacre.oxon.org to discuss locations and timings,

subject ‘Botley Trees’. This is currently aimed at people who would plant

them on their own land, particularly on verges at the front of the house,

rather than community-owned land (though, of course, if the

Council wants in, we can get lots more trees...!). Emma Burnett

Organizations: If your organization is not listed here, please send details

to editor@thesprout.org.uk or telephone 724452 for inclusion.

1st Botley Brownies

Girls aged 7–10

Dean Court Community Centre Thur 6–7.30 Fiona Wheeler,

firstbotleybrownies@gmail.com

2nd Botley Brownies

Girls aged 7–10

Rosary Room, Yarnells Hill. Tues 6:15-7:45 Alison

Griffin 2ndbotleybrownies@outlook.com

4th Oxford Scout Group

Beavers, Cub Scouts, Scouts

Scout Hall, Arnolds Way; mail@thefourth.org.uk

Website: http://www.thefourth.org.uk/

15th Oxford Scout Group

Boys and girls welcome

Fridays, cubs 6.30-8, scouts 8-9.30, Botley Baptist Hall.

Amy Cusden 07887 654386 xvoxfordscouts@yahoo.co.uk

Baby & Toddler Group Tues/Thurs 9.15–11, SS Peter & Paul Church Hall

Badminton Club

Thurs 7-8pm at Matthew Arnold Sports Hall. Garry Clark

0777 3559 314 garryclark13@gmail.com

Books on Wheels R.V.S. Free Library Service for housebound Ox. 248142

Botley Boys & Girls F.C.

Football teams from ages 8-16

Jason Barley Ox. 242926 jbarley1@sky.com or Brendan

Byrne 792531 brendan.byrne999@gmail.com

Botley Health Walks

Wednesday 9.30 a.m Contact: Briony 246497

Botley Library

01865 248142. Open till 7 on Friday and 1pm on Sat,

otherwise 9.30 to 5.30 (closed Wednesdays).

Botley Singers

Thur 7.30, St Andrew’s Church, Dean Court. Angela Astley-

Penny Ox.242189 angastpen@aol.com

Branches Café, Westway

Place, Open to All 8am-3pm,

Open for young people 3-5 daily, Th. eves 7–9 Tel:01865

251115 www.branchesyouth.uk Facebook Branches

Youth Cafe, Instagram @_branches_youth

Community Fridge

For all. Put food in, take food out. Ss P&P church, Mon–Sat

9–5, Sun 11–5. Riki Therivel 07759 135811

Cumnor Choral Society

Rehearsals Friday 7.45 to 9.45 pm John May 07795

054142 or www.cumnorchoralsociety.wordpress.com

Cumnor Chess Club

Thurs 7–9pm Cumnor Old School. Steven Bennett 862788

www.cumnorchessclub.co.uk

Cumnor & District Historical

Society

Last Monday of the month 7.30-9.00 Cumnor Old School.

01865 724808

Cumnor Gardening Club

Details on website at http://cumnorgardens.org.uk/ or

phone Chris Impey, 01865 721026

Harmony InSpires, Ladies'

Acappella Singing Group

Wed 7.30 at Appleton village hall. C. Casson 01235 831352

or harmonyinspires@hotmail.co.uk

Hill End Volunteer Team

Contact: David Millin on david.millin@hill-end.org, call

01865-863510 or visit www.hillend-oec.co.uk

Let’s Sing! – singing group Weds 2pm, WOCC, details Emily 07969 522368

or email emformusic@outlook.com

Morris Dancing – Cry Havoc

Barbara Brett 249599 or bag@cryhavoc.org.uk

Mum and Baby Yoga for

babies from 6 wks to crawling

Mondays 10.30 at Dean Court CC, contact Jacqueline

Rice via https://yogawithjacqueline.co.uk

North Hinksey Preschool and

Childcare Clubs

Mon–Fri 7.45am –6.00 pm. 01865 794287 or email

nhps.manager1@gmail.com

N Hinksey Art Group Weds 10 – 12.00 W.I. Hall Tel: Christina 07931 707997

N Hinksey Bellringers Contact: Ray Rook 01865 241451

N Hinksey Conservation

Volunteers

Meets at weekends. Contact Voirrey Carr 07798743121

voirreyc@aol.com

N Hinksey, Friends of Annual Cricket Match & Walk. Douglas Bond 791213.

N Hinksey Parish Council Colin Ryde, tel 861992, clerk@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk

N Hinksey Youth Club

Wednesdays at Arnold's Way pavilion, call Daz on 07791

212866 or see Facebook

Over Sixties Lunch Club

Every other Thursday. Seacourt Hall. Viv Smith 01865

241539 or Jackie Warner 01865 721386

Oxford Flood Alliance R Thurston 01865 723663 or 07973 292035

Oxfd Flower Arranging Club 4th Thursday Cumnor. Dympna Walker: 01865 865259

Oxford Harmony Men's

Acappella singing group

Meets Wednesdays 7.45 pm at Seacourt Hall Contact

pro@oxfordharmony.co.uk

Oxford Otters

Swimming for people with disabilities. Sundays, twice

monthly. Contact: Alan Cusden 723420

Oxford Rugby Club

Boys and girls from 5, kevin.honner@ntlworld.com

Seniors, training etc jbrodley@chandlings.org.uk.

Oxford Sports Lawn Tennis

Club, N Hinksey

Family club: Melanie Riste 848658 or

melanie_riste@hotmail.com

Raleigh Park, Friends of raleighpark@raleighpark.org.uk

Saturdads

Botley Bridges

Fun activities and trips for Dads and under 5’s

10 am–noon 1st Sat of month. Tel: 243955

Seacourt Hall management

committee

Contact: Michael Cockman 07766 317691

michael.cockman@gmail.com.

Shotokan Karate club 6+ WOCC twice weekly Martyn King 07836 646450

Weight Watchers

Thursdays 6pm at SS Peter & Paul Church Hall Banso

tel: 07779 253899 bansob@aol.com

West Oxford Bowls Club Contact details on www.westoxfordbowlsclub.co.uk

West Oxford Taekwon Do

Club

Mon, Thurs 6.30-8pm, MA gym, contact Chris Hall 01865

570291 www.wotkd.co.uk

West Oxford U3A (Uni of the 3rd Age) http://westoxfordu3a.org.uk/

West Way Day Centre

Mon & Fri 10–3pm, Field House, 07740 611971.

oxfordshirehub@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk

Women’s Institute (Botley)

Liz Manson, 244175 email

liz.manson@virginmedia.com